Safe Use of Cell Phones

Cell phones have completely revolutionized our world and our daily lives, allowing us to stay connected with nearly any person on the planet, 24/7, at the mere push of a button. However, a growing concern with many scientists and health professionals is the increase in radiation exposure that constant cell phone use can cause us. All mobile phones emit some level of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) when they send or receive signals. Many researchers have concluded that frequent absorption of this radiation can cause a host of serious health problems; most notably, it acts as a cancer-causing carcinogen.

“A lot of scientists have come round to the view that radiofrequency radiation is probably carcinogenic because of new research that has emerged since 2011.” - Joel M. Moskowitz, Director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the University of California at Berkeley

Of course, we cannot avoid using cell phones in the 21st century – we have become used to constantly staying connected with everyone we know, and many people’s jobs even require them to use their mobile phone very often. Giving them up is simply not an option, so then how can we protect ourselves from the harmful radiation they emit?

- Don’t use your phone in places with bad reception, such as an elevator or a concrete building (e.g. a gymnasium). This is because when the reception is poor, a phone will send out much stronger signals in an attempt to make the connection, and of course a stronger signal means far greater radiation exposure

- Avoid lengthy calls if possible. Holding a phone to your head for long periods of time can have a cumulative effect on the radiation your brain absorbs, further increasing health risks. Instead, use the speaker function or headphones for everything aside from very brief phone calls

- Try not to use Bluetooth headsets which fit directly in your ear. These devices emit even greater amounts of radiation, which is compounded with the EMR you are already exposed to from the cell phone. Instead, use a regular headset, or alternatively, one of our specially designed Tube headsets, which blocks most of the radiation emitted from a mobile phone

- If possible, keep your phone away from your body. Even when you are not making a call, your phone will still be emitting radiation to maintain its connection with the network. Try to keep it in your bag, or fit your phone with a radiation-blocking case instead.

- Never keep your phone close to you while you sleep, as you will be absorbing EMR as long as it is “on” and connected to a network. Many of use our phones as alarms to help us wake up in the morning; putting your phone on “airplane mode” allows you to do this while eliminating the radiation hazard